The general field of the invention is that of data processing, and, more specifically, print stream processing. In its most specific segmentation, the field is that of optimization of those devices directed to processing a print stream for the purpose of producing a plurality of mailpieces.
In the past several years, significant changes have occurred in the operation of high volume document production centers. These centers have merged traditional printing capabilities with mailroom production facilities. Executives tasked with the management of both print and mail operations are expected to play an ever-growing role in the creation and design of document centers that will deliver effective, high quality, and high integrity output. The current development and emphasis on these centers in corporations or regional centers has lead to the growing use of the term xe2x80x9cAutomated Document Factoryxe2x80x9d (hereinafter xe2x80x9cADFxe2x80x9d) to describe consolidated printing and mail finishing operations.
In current practice, large mailing companies tend to separate the process of creating documents from the process of manufacturing documents (mailpieces). The print center tasked with finishing the created document receives both scheduled and scheduled print jobs with a wide range of requirements. These print jobs are evaluated, scheduled, and executed in the print/finish center.
Because the print/finish center has traditionally been xe2x80x9cinformation systems poor,xe2x80x9d most of the work required to prepare or xe2x80x9cconditionxe2x80x9d the print job for manufacturing was created in the business unit or print service client. Typical conditioning processes include: performing postal address hygiene; adding PostNet(trademark) barcodes; presorting mailings; adding inserter barcode instructions; adjusting printer paper size and orientation; and, adding spot color instructions.
The manager of such a print/finish operation, seeking to maximize efficiency through optimal use of equipment and decision making tools, is faced with a dilemma. First, the decisions about the structure and management of the print/finish center are generally made outside of the center; the decisions are generally made by the Information Systems (IS) group creating the print job and its associated print stream. Document manufacturing requests are also assigned lower priorities, further limiting management control. Second, the hardware systems and their associated peripheral devices are often sourced from different manufacturers so that the printers and inserters being fed by the print stream are relying on differing motivators from the print stream.
To help classify and organize the concept of the emerging print/finish center, an architecture has been developed within the print stream industry that is referred to as the ADF. The Automated Document Factory(trademark) architecture proposed by the Gartner Group of Stamford, Conn., provides a model for a set of processes that prepares and positions enterprises to manage the creation and delivery of high-volume digitized documents by using factory production techniques that appropriately and optimally mechanize document production. The raw materials of production (i.e., the document data and preparation instructions), enter the ADF which transforms them into digital documents and prepares them for delivery.
The architecture for the ADF is comprised of four (4) modules; these include: input; transformation; delivery and preparation; and, control and reporting. Each module, or building block, is made up of other modules and each is connected by a series of interfaces, or links.
Each of the building blocks must be linked through effective communication which includes the tracking and measurement of the input and output of the document manufacturing hardware and associated peripherals. To enhance productivity and cost-effectiveness of the overall system, systems managers need to be able to scrutinize every element of the print job process to see where improvements can be made. Thus, each of the modules takes on an increased significance when viewed with respect to their relationship with the overall system.
There is thus a need to provide each of the modules for the ADF so that the structure can be self supporting and viable. The input module is where all of the data and instructions needed to transform the arriving print stream data into documents enters the ADF. The present invention is currently being introduced to the print stream market by the assignee of the present invention, Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford, Conn., as the InStream(trademark) server which is designed as the input module for the ADF.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a significant sub-module that supports the input module of the conceptual ADF frame by describing herein the establishment and use of a job ticket. The job ticket drives the manufacturing process by providing the parameters for the job to be performed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of optimizing the use of time and hardware performance in manufacturing documents that have been digitally delivered through the input module.
The invention is a method of establishing a job ticket representative of a print stream job, and the structure of the job ticket, to be performed by a client server.
The method begins with the step of receiving a unique job message identifier from a server client, wherein the unique job message identifier is representative of a particular print processing job. The print processing job, in turn, further comprises: a printer selection routine; and/or, an inserter instruction set; and/or, a communication instruction set. Once the unique job message identifier is received, then the method locates a job ticket template database representative of a set of unique job message identifiers.
The method then attempts to match the received unique job message identifier with a job ticket template located in the job ticket template database. The matching step is accomplished by plotting each element of the unique message identifier to identify a set of elements to be mapped against a corresponding job ticket template. The database comprising a set of one or more job ticket templates is selected, and the unique message identifier is mapped against each one of the one or more job ticket templates. The initial job ticket template is created by a system operator to form a model for subsequent job tickets created during the ticket matching step and wherein the template is copied during the ticket matching step to create a new job ticket instance. It is then determined whether or not a first match exists between the unique message identifier and any one of the one or more job ticket templates. If a match exists, then the matched template is selected to establish a new job ticket. However, if no match exists, then the next closest match between the unique message identifier and the any one of the one or more job ticket templates is determined to establish a second match. The match determination is based upon a set of one or more matching rules. It is important to note that the rules may comprise an exclusion wherein the message identifier is identified as being excluded from being matched against the one or more templates.
If it is determined that a match exists between the received unique job message identifier and the job ticket template; then the method produces a job ticket instance. And, if the match is not found to exist, then creating a new job ticket template, and endowing the new job ticket template with a set of print job parameters representative of the print stream job.
If a match is not determined, however, then the method logs a system event. The system event initiates the creation of a new set of job parameters wherein the parameters establish a job ticket representative of the parameters, and wherein further, the job ticket establishes a job ticket template which is stored in the database of the client server.
The job ticket structure itself is representative of a print stream job to be performed by the client server. The structure comprises a unique ticket identifier representative of the job ticket. It further comprises a set of one or more jobs, each one of the one or more jobs further comprising job properties that define one or more attributes of a particular job. The attributes, in turn, comprise a name, a value, and a type.
The job ticket additionally comprises a first set of one or more links to a first set of one or more objects corresponding to each one of the first set of links and wherein the first set of objects activate a set of one or more peripheral devices for producing the print stream job. The first set of one or more objects may contain a printer selection routine, an inserter instruction set, and/or, a communication instruction set. The job ticket further provides a second set of one or more links to a second set of one or more objects corresponding to each one of the second set of links wherein the second set of objects activate a set of one or more routines for establishing statistics and/or reporting representative of the print stream job.